Is it ever OK to cheat in sports?

In consecutive days, two coaches in professional sports had a direct impact on the events of the game through less than honorable ways.

Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd bought his team enough time to draw up a play when he dropped a beverage onto the court. Kidd claimed butterfingers. The NBA thought otherwise. Kidd received a $50,000 fine for his trouble.

It should be noted that both coaches lost their games. However, it does raise an interesting question.

Is it ever O.K. to cheat for your team?

Sure, we can say no with kneejerking gusto. But I don’t think anyone means that. Under that initial layer of indignation, every Pittsburgh fan is glad Tomlin was on the field, just like every Brooklyn fan smiled on the inside when they saw their coach spray his soda.

Cheating is part of every game.

Every time we see a basketball player fall dramatically in the lane, touched only just by his man driving to the hoop and drawing a soft charge, or a cornerback get a hand on the shoulder of a receiver before the ball reaches them but doesn’t get pass interference called, are those players not cheating? What about every soccer player that has ever fallen like a sack of potatoes in the penalty box, touched by no one, and yet a penalty kick is awarded? And how many times have you heard a NASCAR driver talk about the “gray area” of the sport as he’s docked points for some shift engineering?

When it’s your team on the wrong side of cheating, it’s maddening. When it’s your team rewarded, well …

Perhaps the most egregious case of in-game cheating came during the 1986 World Cup between England and Argentina. In the 51st minute of the game with the score tied, Argentina’s Diego Maradona poked in the first goal … with his hand.

The goal became famously known as the ‘Hand of God.’ To this day, it enrages England. And Maradona? He and Argentina went on to win the ’86 World Cup. Maradona was perhaps the greatest player of his time and until Messi appeared, he was without question the greatest Argentinian. Did the ‘Hand of God’ tarnish his legacy? If anything, it only furthered his legend.

The reality is every team cheats. That’s why referees have jobs. Players push themselves to incomprehensible levels to win. In doing so, they break the rules every once in a while. Sometimes on accident and sometimes — as we’ve seen — on purpose. When all is said and done, fans don’t mind, they might even enjoy it.

If your team is on the wrong side, it’s maddening. If your team is rewarded, well …

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